Do you sometimes wonder who are the crazy people who dedicate their free time helping Pit Bulls in need in Missouri? Meet MPR volunteers! We're are just like you! Some of our members are doctors, teachers, lawyers, social workers, interpreters, vet techs, stay-at-home parents, computer geeks, artists, construction workers, insurance agents, students, models, counselors, truck drivers, zoo workers, web designers, city employees, nurses... and so much more... Surprised? Don't be :-) We all have a normal life, family and friends and we all share one thing in common: A deep love for Pit Bulls and the untiring desire to help them.

MPR is dedicated to rescuing local Pit Bulls that needs help, to provide them with comfortable, safe and a caring shelter or temporary home and to find them a loving and responsible owner. Dogs eligible to our program include abandoned ones that are wandering the streets, unwanted family companions, and homeless pets from regional animal shelter and city pounds.

MPR works with several Animal Shelters and Animal Control facilities in Missouri. MPR is licensed with the state of Missouri and authorized to rescue dogs from shelters that don't adopt out Pit Bulls to the public.

MPR occasionally takes family dogs that are losing their home due to BSL or for other acceptable reasons, such as sickness or death in the family.

MPR asks private owners to go to PBRC for assistance in rehoming their dog. MPR does NOT take dogs from individuals who have unaltered pets. Dogs are brought into the program as space is available. MPR does not maintain a waiting list.

We chose potential candidates for our program based initially on a first impression. We look for outgoing dogs with friendly demeanors, attractive appearance, stable personality, etc. The selected dogs then go through basic evaluation with one of our senior volunteers.

MPR group has zero tolerance for people-aggression. We understand that in some cases certain dogs may be traumatized by their situation as homeless pet or by the shelter environment, and may not act themselves. We realize however, that with so many dogs dying homeless, we should only approve the ones that remain friendly and stable despite their difficult situation. This is what a good Pit Bull does.

Once accepted in our program, the dogs continue the evaluation process by being introduced to situations that test their tolerance and stability.

Dog Boarding and Foster care

MPR has two options for the dogs in our program; A small shelter in Kansas City and a network of foster homes. While the shelter is a life saving solution for dogs we rescue from difficult situations, it can be very hard on family companions who have just lost their home. MPR takes this fact in consideration when situating the new dogs in our program. Stray dogs, chained dogs, dogs that were mistreated and never had a good life before entering our program, usually accept shelter life with ease. It's a step up for them and often a positive experience.

Trained volunteers tend to our shelter dogs 7 days a week. The volunteers take the dogs on walks, provide them with training, attention and socialization. For many dogs, life at MPR shelter is heaven compared to what they had before. A kennel however, no matter how comfortable it is, is not a step up for a cherished family pet. We do our best to move those owner-surrenders into foster care immediately so the dogs don't develop behavior problems. Unfortunately, we are often forced to turn down family dogs due to lack of available foster homes. Note that MPR relies solely on donations from the public to operate the shelter.

Even though we wish we could save more dogs, MPR does not rush dogs out of the program to make room for new ones. We believe the quality of our dogs and the quality of our placements is more important than the quantity. We keep the dogs as long as it takes to find their perfect home.

Socialization

Once accepted into our program, the adoption candidates are socialized as much as possible. The dogs are exposed to kids, cats, and other dogs if possible, as well as introduced to all kinds of situations and people, taken to different locations such as pet stores, leash-parks, walks downtown, etc.

While we can't guarantee the future behavior of a dog, we do our best to give our rescue dogs a real trial at normal life by putting them in daily pet situations to test their reactions. Dogs that show inappropriate aggression and instability are removed from our adoption program unless they can be rehabilitated while in foster care.

We occasionally have to make very difficult decisions, but we try to stay true to our goal of not only rescuing dogs, but rescuing the reputation of the Pit Bull breed as well. MPR does not adopt out dogs we believe could be dangerous to people.

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A good Pit Bull is an affectionate dog who loves people and is comfortable and friendly with everyone

But a Pit Bull is a Pit Bull...

As explained above, MPR won't place dogs that show signs of human-aggression since the nature of the breed is to be great with people. That said, a certain degree of "animal-aggression" is to be expected with all Terriers. Pit Bulls in particular, can become somewhat dog-aggressive as they mature.

Even if we place a Pit Bull who appears to get along with other dogs, we can't guarantee it will always be the case. Pit Bulls were originally developed for the cruel sport of dog fighting and selectively bred for their fighting abilities. They are not the breed of choice to share a home with other pets, unless the owners are well prepared to assure strict supervision and separate the dogs when needed. Pit Bulls have wonderful personality traits that make them excellent companions but their fighting heritage should not be ignored. We prefer placing our dogs with people who understand the breed's potential and wont put the dogs in the wrong situations.

Adoption Restrictions

Because of their important fighting heritage MPR avoids same sex-placements or to place Pit Bulls in multiple dog homes. We might place a Pit Bull in a home with a compatible dog of the opposite sex, but we ask our adopters to follow certain safety measures - Never leave the dogs unsupervised, always monitor roughhousing, avoid triggers that could cause conflicts such as bones, toys, etc. We also ask that the dogs we place not be taken to dog parks.

Pit Bulls are extremely affectionate and very people oriented. The dogs we rescue often come from difficult situations but never lost their profound love of people. Because these animals are so social and easy targets for thieves, we only place Pit Bulls with people who will keep them as indoor pets and cherished family members. Pit Bulls truly enjoy human company and are miserable living outside alone. Outside dogs can also develop behavior problems.

MPR group conduts a homecheck before placing a dog in a new home. The goal of the home visit is not only to see where our protégés will live, but also to give our adopters a chance to get to know us better. We like to develop a good relationship with people who adopt a dog from us and to provide breed education prior to our placements. Meeting with everyone in the family facilitates this exchange.

Our homechecks are not intrusive. The most important for us is to know that our dogs are going in safe and caring homes, and that all the members of the family are well informed and prepared for a life long commitment with their new companion. For more info about this, please review our "Adoption Guidelines"

Saying Goodbye...

Saying goodbye is not easy. Don't be surprised if we shed a few tears on the adoption day. We have taken those dogs from difficult situations, nursed them back to health, taught them to be normal pets, and gave them a piece of our heart. It hurts to let go of our foster dogs, but knowing that we will be able to save another dog gives us the strength to say good-bye.

Please remember to let us know how your new dog is doing once in a while. Happy updates is the fuel that keeps the rescuers going.